


Overwatch: Once upon a time in the West

by Dappere



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - World War I, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Wild West
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 10:18:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11826684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dappere/pseuds/Dappere
Summary: At the cusp of the twentieth century a world war raged between Omnics and Humans. The world that was left behind is a changed place, and the people and omnics left are forced to pick up the pieces. Inspector Lena Oxton pursues a woman she once called friend, crossings continents in an effort to bring her back. Jesse McCree, unable to forget or forgive his mentor, hunts him, determined to finally put an end to the man they call The Reaper. Together Lena and Jesse team up to right the wrongs of the Old West.





	Overwatch: Once upon a time in the West

**Author's Note:**

> Crank up your favourite Ennio Morricone songs and get ready for an adventure in the weird wild west.

It all began with the discovery of Omnium. Deep in the earth lay the crystalline substance known as Omnium, charged with otherworldly energy it sat dormant for centuries. Then humanity found it and began the dangerous process of experimentation. 

As with most exploration, the question always has to do with how far can something be pushed. Very rarely does anyone bother to ask if things should be done. Should humanity have left Omnium alone? For a long time everyone would have thought that question foolish. Omnium was used to power trains, used to create new inventions that bettered the lives of many. 

Then some genius went too far. Using Omnium as a power source, mechanical beings were made to serve humanity. Human slavery was newly defeated, and now the slavers who had relied on human workers, had nothing to fear, their industry was revived.

Of course, things didn’t go exactly to plan, Omnics were not as productive as humans. The mindless machines just worked too slowly. So the scientists and engineers went back to the drawing boards, and made them better. 

Somewhere in the process, something unforeseeable happened. One day, Omnium changed, and the energy contained within changed. No longer did could it power tools or trains, all that seemed to work was the Omnics. Like the Omnium, the Omnics changed. Like waking from a dream, a new race of sentient machines came into being overnight. 

Then things got complicated. Slavery had just been abolished, but this didn’t count as slavery, did it? They were machines not people, they should be put to work, it’s what they were made for. Sadly, the Omnics quickly figured out their place in the world, and got to work changing it.

It was the greatest war the world had ever seen, a war fought worldwide. Unlike before it wasn’t ties of nationality or race that determined who fought, but ties of humanity against machines. Men and Women were drafted, the Omnics were endless, grinding through humanity like the gears that turned in their heads. 

Inside the mess that was the war, Lena Oxton met Amélie Guillard. Lena was a British soldier, sent over to help the French repel the Omnics. She was known as a bit of a hot head, too often running head first into trouble, but always managing to make it out mostly unharmed. Amélie was one of, if not the, best shot the French had. Many an Omnic had holes drilled through their heads from miles away thanks to Amélie. 

Together they fought and at night they would talk of their hopes and dreams. Amélie dreamed of being a dancer, Lena dreamed of being an inspector just like her father. They would laugh, cry, sleep, then wake up and go to fight again. 

Amélie fell in love with another french soldier, Captain Gérard Lacroix. They got married a week before the war ended, and Lena was filled with bittersweet joy for her friend. See, Lena had often talked of her dreams, what she wanted her future to look like after the war, but she always failed to mention that she had often dreamed of Amélie being part of that future. 

So the Great Omnic War ended, and a new world was born. Omnics and humans living together, old hatreds forgotten and new friendships formed. Lena and Amélie went their separate ways, as did many of their comrades. 

Amélie became a ballet dancer and lived a life of luxury with her husband. Lena worked her way through the ranks to become an inspector for the London constabulary. Life was good, and then it wasn’t. 

Amélie disappeared, her husband desperate to find her. Months of searching on his own with no success, he sent for Lena, hoping as an inspector she could help. Like a spark to gunpowder Lena exploded into action, racing to France and beginning her search. 

Months went by with few leads, until one day Amélie simply returned home. Gérard was overjoyed, not caring where she had been, only that she had returned. He sent the message to Lena that Amélie had returned. 

A day later Lena arrived at the Lacroix household to find Gérard with a knife in his back. 

Lena didn’t want to believe that Amélie could have done it. She tried hard to think of other possibilities, but it inevitably came back to Amélie. So Lena vowed to get answers, real answers from Amélie herself. 

So Lena tracked her quarry across the world. During the beginning of her search the world became captivated by an assassin being name the ‘Widowmaker’, a deadly sharpshooter working for some unknown client. Politicians, royals, bankers, criminals, many found their way into Widowmaker’s crosshairs. 

After each assassination, Lena would appear shortly after, searching tirelessly for Amélie. Through Italy, Egypt, Turkey, Russia, China Japan, Lena followed the trail of bodies, always one step behind. 

One the frontier lands of America though, Lena would find her, only now, she might have to put an end to Widowmaker, rather than save Amélie. 

* * *

It was to be a celebration of equality. Tekhartha Mondatta, an Omnic preacher had travelled to America some years ago to help educate the people of America. The war had hit America hard, happening right after the Civil war, they had little time to recover and prepare. As a result, America was  little behind the times, especially when it came to Omnic rights. So Tekhartha Mondatta would speak in towns and cities, trying to bring people and Omnic together.

Lena had seen a few of his speeches, and after the war, was happy to see positive progress being made. Forgiving the Omnics was hard, she had fought them for years, lost friends and family to them. Yet, Lena had an understanding now of why they fought, and what had changed in them since, some of that understanding thanks to Tekhartha. 

The crowds watched on as the shining Omnic preacher was brought before the crowd. Lena smiled, watching the faces of the people around her more than Tekhartha. People cheered, grinned and clapped, but quickly fell silent at a gesture from Tekhartha. It was a smaller town, but the crowd was still impressive. 

As Tekhartha began his speech, Lena got to work. Someone was out to kill Tekhartha, and Lena hoped it wasn’t a professional hit, but rather an angry attack. It was high profile enough to be a target for Widowmaker, but at the same time, a high profile Omnic was subject to constant threat of attack from anti Omnic supporters. 

Lena’s eyes scanned the rooftops and windows of the nearby houses. For a moment she believed it was all clear, until she saw movement on the top floor of a nearby saloon. Her hands fell to her pair of British army model revolvers, the guns had followed her through a war, through countless countries across the world, they gave her confidence. 

“S’cuse me, sorry, coming through,” Lena said as she pushed through the crowd. Something moved in the window again, and Lena picked up her pace. Finally breaking through the crowd Lena ran into the saloon. Racing through the bar patrons, spilling drink and offering what apologies she could Lena took the steps two at a time. There was only one room that had a window overlooking the street where Tekhartha was speaking. Lena whipped out her pistols and kicked in the door, “Trying to crash the party luv?” 

There was no Widowmaker, but two men dressed in black, face covered with bandanas and rifles in hand. “Shite,” Lena murmured as they turned and opened fire. Lena pulled her triggers and both men fell backwards, their shots going wide and punching through the thin walls beside Lena. 

Panic rippled from the saloon out into the crowd, resulting in Tekhartha being pulled away by his bodyguards. Lena was about to start apologizing to the people in the saloon below when another shot rang out. The sound pulled Lena back to France, back to the war. “Oh bloody hell,” she cursed, turning back to look out at the street. 

One of Tekhartha’s bodyguards was down. Another shot rang out, and another bodyguard fell. The crowd started running, screaming and crying out as they all tried to find cover. 

Lena ran out onto the small balcony the saloon sported, desperately searching for Widowmaker. Silhouetted by the full moon and standing tall on an adjacent building, Widowmaker tracked her next target, eye glued to her scope. She fired a third shot, killing the final bodyguard. Her mission was simple, cause chaos, and kill Tekhartha Mondatta. Now the Omnic was all alone on the street. Widowmaker pulled back the bolt on her rifle, another round sliding into the chamber, her finger ghosted the trigger and her crosshairs fell onto Tekhartha. 

Lena growled, raising her pistols, thumbs pulling back the hammers. After over a year of hunting, Lena had finally found Amélie. Lena fired, her shots smashing roof tiles around Widowmaker.

Widowmakers shot flew over the Omnics head as she was assaulted with gunfire. She pulled back the bolt on her rifle, swinging the barrel to face her assailant. She was a short woman with equally short messy brown hair. Her face was scrunched in a furious scowl, her tan leather jacket fluttering in the night breeze. 

For the first time in her admittedly fractured memory, Widowmaker froze. A strange feeling of nostalgia came over her and a sudden wave of emotion floored her. She knew the person shooting her, somehow she knew her. Her revelry was broken as a bullet cracked into the roof, kicking up shards of ceramic into her face. For the second time that night Widowmaker fired and missed. “Merde,” Widowmaker whispered as she grabbed for the lasso at her side, looping it around the buildings chimney and leaping off the roof, swinging across to a smaller building. 

Bullet fire followed her, but her assailant only had so many shots. 

Lena emptied her revolvers, hands shaking with rage, sadness, and whole mix of things she didn’t understand. None of her shots landed, though none were really intended to. 

Lena leapt off the balcony, running on her instincts and emotions. The fall was hard, but rolling out of it she managed to remain unhurt. Widowmaker was running across the rooftops, looking back repeatedly to see Lena’s dogged pursuit. 

Lena shoved one of her pistols in it’s holster, loading the other as she ran. She was so close, closer than she had been the entire time she had been hunting Amélie. “Stop!” Lena yelled, “Amélie!”

Widowmaker skidded to a halt, the name striking her as hard as any blow. Memory flooded back in quick, sharp, images. “Amélie!” Lena cried again, seeing the woman freeze. Just as the name had entrapped her, so did it free her. Widowmaker returned to the present, a wicked smile forming. “You have failed  chéri, you thought I was the only one sent on this mission?”

Lena looked shocked, “What? I’m here for…” Lena spun around, looking back to the street where  Tekhartha had been. Standing over the broken body of the Omnic, stood a man dressed all in black, a white mask, that of a skull, covering his face. “No!” Lena screamed, spinning back to see Widowmaker running away. Lena ran, firing with murderous intent now, and coming very close to hitting Widowmaker. 

Then, she was gone. Lena kept running, still searching, running in circles, tears falling down her cheeks. She had failed to get her friend back, she had failed to protect someone who needed it. Lena had failed. 

* * *

Widowmaker hissed as she wrapped the hastily made bandage over the scratch on her arm. The woman hadn’t scored a direct hit, just a scrape, hardly the worst injury Widowmaker had suffered. Yet the mission had been a success, despite Widowmakers failure. She didn't dwell on the mistakes, she didn't wish to waste the energy, her focus now solely on patchign ehrself up and waiting for the next mission.

The safehouse were she had hidden was small, and felt smaller with the presence of Reaper hanging over her. He said little, not that Widowmaker was complaining, she would rather a silent companion. No, it was the rage and bloodlust that seemed to emanate from his whole body. She had seen him shot, stabbed, burnt, bashed, trampled, and yet he always picked himself up. He was a force of nature, as was she.

Hers was the kiss of death, the touch of destruction, subtle but effective. Talon had put them together to be the best operative team on the planet. Neither asked questions, they only worked, expecting no thanks. Widowmaker did it because it was how she was made to be, she couldn’t remember the specific details but she knew the basics of what they had done to her. 

She suspected Reaper did it for the opportunity to kill. It mattered little to her though, he did his job and so did she, that's all there was. “That girl,” Reaper growled, “She’s following you.”

Widowmaker looked up in surprise. “She’s been following you for a long time, you don’t remember her?” Reaper asked. Widowmaker thought back to the night previous, to the feelings of nostalgia, the flashes of memory. “Non,” Widowmaker said carefully. Reaper looked at her, his feelings indecipherable from behind the mask. 

“Good, deal with her,” Reaper said, turning back to the cleaning of his shotguns.

* * *

Alcohol was evil. It was supposed to make her feel better, yet right now, the morning sun shooting spears of light into her eyeballs, the noise of the saloon deafening, Lena hated alcohol. To make matters worse, the stupid American bar didn’t have any gin, or any decent booze. Instead she had gotten as blind as possible on the cheap homemade swill that they offered.

The food she slowly picked was terrible as well, in fact, everything was terrible. The whole damn world was a terrible place. “Howdy there partner,” a smug, gruff voice said. Lena stared up at the newcomer, disheveled, rugged, gunslinger to the bone, and one hundred percent American. “Could you take a step to the left Mccree, sun's a little ripe this mornin’,” Lena said, hand raised to block the sun. Jesse Mccree chuckled, slapping a wide brimmed hat down on Lena’s head and taking a seat. “There you go, proper cowgirl now, there’s a good reason you need a hat like that out here, seems like you’re learning the hard way.” 

“I’m learning a lot of things the hard way luv,” Lena grumbled taking another bite of overcooked bacon. Jesse’s smile faded, smoke drifting from his cigar, 

“Heard there was some trouble round here. Something about some Omnic getting shot.”

Lena’s sighed, “Tekhartha Mondatta, preacher, good guy.” 

“And the people who killed him?” Jesse asked, taking a long draw from his cigar. 

“Got away.” Jesse stared hard at Lena, 

“It was her wasn’t it, that French lady you’ve been after.” Lena nodded, Jesse jabbed the butt of his cigar into the table, “Heard there was another one, man in black, skull for a face, real scary looking fellow.” Lena nodded again. Jesse took a deep breath, hand unconsciously drifting to his pistol, “Seems like the people we’re after are working together."

"So the scary guy, he's the one you been after," Lena said. Jesse nodded, 

"Real son of a bitch, been on his trail almost as long as you've been on yours." 

"Why, why is she working with him, how could she do something like this?" Lena said, head falling into her hands. Jesse rested a hand on her shoulder, 

"Dunno. Asked myself the same question a few times, all I can say is people change. I wasn't always such a nice guy you know." Lena looked up at Jesse with a soft smile, 

"Please, you've always been a big old softie." Jesse grinned, 

"One day I'll tell you about what I was doing before the war, might change your mind." Lena sighed, 

"Save the story for next time, I should get going soon, I haven't been this close before, I can't give up now." They both stood, and Lena began to say her goodbyes when Jesse held up his hand, "If both our bounties are working together, maybe we should as well. What do you say, I could use your help, and you could use mine."

“The best bounty hunter the world has ever seen is after help from lil old me?” Lena said with a smirk. Jesse smiled, shrugging,

“I figured the best inspector the world has ever seen might be handy to have around.”

“Widowmaker’s mine though, it’s… Personal,” Lena said, sadness drifting back into her eyes. 

Jesse nodded, his face hardened as well, “Well, the Reaper is mine then, it’s also very, very personal.” 

Jesse extended his hand to Lena, “Let’s find them and do what should have been done a long, long time ago.” Lena stood, taking his hand, the weight of inevitability crushing down on her, “Yeah, sure.” 

* * *

So two gunslingers rode out of a small town. They had little idea where they were going, but they knew in their weary hearts they were wandering into a fight.

Nearby two assassins got word of their next assignment. They too had little idea where they were going or why, only that they had a job to do. In their cold hearts they knew they were heading towards a fight, and they relished the thought of it.


End file.
